Reality is the #1 cause of insanity among those who are in contact with it.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

I was recently seduced to the Electronic Dark Side and bought an iPod.Now I have a direct circuit into my brain feeding me not only musicbut podcasts (and podbooks, ohmygodno!). I still want a flash drivefor my brain......

I listened to a weekly update from SEED on the train this morningwhich included the excerpt below. I know this topic has surfacedbefore, so here's the 'latest':

Go In With a BangAthletes need energy. They need fire. They need power. They need, um,spunk. And plenty of athletes hope to build their supply by abstainingfrom sex for days, weeks or months before a big sporting event.According to scientists, however, a little pre-gaming may not be sucha bad thing. Some studies indicate that sex may raise testosteronelevels and therefore actually help performance on the field.[3]

Italian professor of endocrinology Emmanuele A. Jannini says threemonths of abstinence can cause testosterone to drop to children'slevels, which is probably none too helpful in maintaining theaggression needed for boxing or football. Sexual activity also doesn'tleave participants drained of their vigor: A roll in the hay usuallyonly costs 25 to 50 calories per person [1], fewer than the caloriesin a single Oreo cookie.

In women, sex produces a neuropeptide that can block pain for up to aday, allowing female athletes to play through muscle pain[2]. So startyour warm-ups early, kids. Science knows best.(source: National Geographic News)

[1] I disaggree with this assertion (energy expenditure per 'roll inthe hay'). I am devilishly curious about the sample pool from whichthese data and statistics were derived. Obviously a pool ofconservative elderly........

[2] This reference to a gender dimorphic response is intriguing.Parallel with my interest in that topic, I will see if I can trackdown this information.

[3] A few recent studies coming out of the psychology field suggeststhat not just any type of sex may have the same effects. Two recentstudies suggest that coitus induces a more robust physiological andpsychological response than either oral or masturbation. (one measuredability to cope with acute environmental stress, the other examined afew select hormones - which they had analyzed a greater selection)(for quick summary of the latter: Fun with Brains. )

Recent literature also demonstrated that sex can mediate and moderate situational stress response for up to 24 hours after the sex act. That I don't find newsbreaking. We all know that sex raises endorphins and other 'feel good' hormones and neurotransmitters. It even relaxes muscles.

So women who claim to have headaches to abstain from sex can't use that as an excuse anymore. Sex can actually alleviate or dispel headaches.